WASHINGTON/DOHA/JERUSALEM, June 29, 2026 — The United States and Iran have agreed to suspend recent military strikes and resume technical negotiations in Doha, Qatar, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the destruction of a major Hezbollah underground tunnel complex in southern Lebanon. The developments reflect parallel efforts to manage security challenges across the Middle East.
U.S. and Iran Resume Talks
According to senior U.S. officials, Washington and Tehran have agreed to halt all kinetic military activity and allow commercial shipping to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz. Technical discussions are scheduled to resume on Tuesday in Doha, with Qatar continuing to facilitate indirect negotiations.
The talks will focus on resolving disagreements over the administration and security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime routes for global energy trade.
The latest agreement follows several days of military exchanges that threatened to undermine an 11-day-old Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at reducing tensions after months of conflict. The escalation began after the United States conducted strikes on Iranian military facilities in southern Iran, citing Iranian drone attacks on commercial shipping. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Under the preliminary agreement, Iran committed to making its best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels, while the United States agreed to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Disagreements over responsibility for managing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz were cited as the main cause of the recent escalation.
IDF Destroys Hezbollah Tunnel Complex
In a separate development, the IDF announced that it had dismantled a major Hezbollah underground tunnel complex in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon.
According to a joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the tunnel extended more than 200 meters and reached depths exceeding 25 meters. Israeli forces said they discovered hundreds of weapons inside the complex, along with four launch shafts directed toward Israeli territory.
Israeli officials said the United States was informed before the operation. The strike was carried out within the expanded security zone established under a recently agreed U.S.-brokered security framework, which also provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the area.
Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, with its leader Naim Qassem stating that the group will continue its armed resistance.
Regional Security Developments
The planned U.S.-Iran talks in Doha and Israel's operation against Hezbollah infrastructure highlight separate efforts to address ongoing security challenges in the region. The outcome of the Doha meeting is expected to provide further clarity on implementing the temporary agreement between Washington and Tehran and future arrangements for security and commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
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